Courtesy of Fish Griwkowsky
Edmonton’s The Lad Mags have quickly become a gem in the Alberta music scene. Their spooky psychedelic garage rock (with a dash of soul) has drawn crowds at Sled Island and CMJ in the last year. When they began three years ago half of the band was completely new to making music which is amazing considering the ground they’ve covered.
“When we first started our newness placed the right kind of limitations on what we could make and having parameters to work within turned out to be creatively really freeing” says The Lad Mags’ Amelia Aspen. “We just tried everything that we had the proficiency to try.”
With the help of a supportive music scene in Edmonton they’ve been able to thrive. Aspen mentions Edmonton’s Betrayers whom The Lad Mags have toured with quite a bit as being a great mentor. They have also found partners at the Edmontone Studios where Doug Organ has recorded all their releases and Wunderbar where Craig Martel has been a huge support. “I’m pretty sure his heart is the foundation of the entire music scene there” adds Aspen about Martel. It’s a perfect picture of how members of the scene work together to help each other succeed.
The Lad Mags have a new 7-inch on the way and they were hoping it would be ready for their Calgary show on November 22 with Shannon and the Clams. Unfortunately the record is taking longer than expected due to delays at the pressing plant. The Lad Mags have had their share of experience with vinyl (now onto their third 7-inch) but Aspen says business has changed in that short time.
“Even a year or two ago this kind of backlog would only happen around Record Store Day” she says. “Now it is just like that all the time.”
There are many factors: two Record Store Days every year growing demand for vinyl and no additional record-pressing plants opening. “At first a few bands were coming out with these treats and special pressings and it really changed what people’s expectations are of vinyl releases… those things all take extra time to make” says Aspen.
To add insult to injury The Lad Mags had to delay a promotional tour for the 7-inch which they were hoping to do in October until the spring. Aspen however takes it all in stride. “It is looking like this is the new normal so I’m sure that bands will find ways to adjust” she says. For bands like The Lad Mags this adjustment could mean planning a year in advance.
So why bother? “We have released some things only digitally and it works fine but having a physical thing that a band made for you seems less impersonal” says Aspen. But if it takes so long they may need to look at other options. “I hear that the turnaround time for having tapes manufactured is like 10 days or something like that so we may end up going that route again out of necessity.”
Fortunately it doesn’t sound like the fans have thrown any rotten tomatoes yet and The Lad Mags are filling their van with new merch for their November shows. They’re not sure when the new wax will arrive but in the meantime everyone can get a fix of sweet and eerie garage-soul when The Lad Mags hit the stage.
